1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communication and data networks. More particularly, in one exemplary aspect, the present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for network identification of a machine-to-machine communications client.
2. Description of Related Technology
Many new applications have begun to emerge with the expansive deployment of cellular network infrastructure. The machine-to-machine (M2M) market is one specific segment that has gained considerable widespread usage. A typical M2M system comprises a device, or group of devices, capable of autonomously replying to requests for data, and transmitting data. An M2M system also may include a communications link to connect the device, or group of devices, to another device (or group of devices), wherein a software agent or process can analyze, report, and/or act upon the requested data.
Typical market segments for M2M devices are shown in FIG. 1a; these market segments comprise e.g., telematics, automation monitoring and control, and supervision. Applications range without limitation from fleet management systems over remote controlling and/or accounting, to health supervision with specific and demanding requirements. In one example, a vending machine for beverages communicates with the owner to automatically order new supplies when it is low. In another example, a rent production machine generates an account of usage and reports it to the rental agency. With such a wide variety of potential applications, the number of such M2M enabled devices is increasing at an unprecedented rate. More than one hundred thirty million (130,000,000) connected devices are expected worldwide before the year 2010. Due to the flexibility and reliability of cellular networks for mobile devices, cellular networks have become a main mode of communication for M2M applications.
M2M clients differ from other ordinary network subscribers primarily with respect to data usage; M2M clients typically are not flexibly programmed; and their software is not written to operate with the wide variety of services that a human subscriber can. Furthermore, many (though not all) M2M services are deterministic in their times of operation, and data transmitted. Therefore, network operators are currently seeking solutions for improving resource management, and/or offering attractive M2M rate structures or tariffs, to meet new business models. It is advantageous for operators of cellular networks to provide a wide range of subscription options to cope with the increasingly diverse M2M use. Ideally, solutions for advanced resource management will take into account periods of low network traffic, and perform load-balancing functions (juggling e.g. time, location and network resources) to optimize network service. Also, methods to implement M2M specific rate structures or tariffs by categorizing access modes, data quantities, and delivery rates for generating various price packages are desirable. The combination of proper resource management and pricing of data will provide a cellular network infrastructure that encourages future M2M application development and deployment.
Mobility Management (MM) is another major component of network administration, as typical mobile devices (e.g., user equipment or “UEs” in a 3G/UMTS network, described in greater detail below) may roam over a large territory. However, unlike a standard subscriber, some installations of M2M clients may move within a small area, or remain temporarily or even permanently within one geographic location. Certain network operations such as Location Area (LA) and Routing Area (RA) updates may be reduced or greatly simplified. The limited mobility of M2M clients can also be used in conjunction with previously mentioned data usage (e.g. limited range telematics, location based automated operation, etc.) as an additional limitation for business model pricing.
In some special use cases, security considerations that differ from standard subscriber usage are necessary for M2M clients. M2M terminals which are placed in unprotected publicly accessible locations may be fraudulently modified or otherwise tampered with. Corrupted terminals may be used to attack the M2M system and/or the cellular network, or facilitate theft of funds or products. Perpetrators of such fraud may target an M2M user (e.g. via denial of service attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, message blocking, etc.), and/or the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) operators (e.g., via theft of service, etc.). Furthermore, unlike personally owned UEs, the unsupervised nature of M2M clients complicates the detection and reporting of fraudulent usage or modification.
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is an exemplary implementation of a “third-generation” or “3G” cellular telephone technology. The UMTS standard is specified by a collaborative body referred to as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The 3GPP has adopted UMTS as a 3G cellular radio system targeted for inter alia European markets, in response to requirements set forth by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The ITU standardizes and regulates international radio and telecommunications. Enhancements to UMTS will support future evolution to fourth generation (4G) technology.
As is well known, a cellular radio system comprises a network of radio cells each served by a transmitting station, known as a cell site or base station. The radio network provides wireless communications service for a plurality of transceivers (in most cases mobile). The network of base stations working in collaboration allows for wireless service that is greater than the radio coverage provided by a single serving base station. The individual base stations are connected by another network (in many cases a wired network), which includes additional controllers for resource management and in some cases access to other network systems (such as the Internet) or MANs.
In a UMTS system, a base station is commonly referred to as a “Node B”. The UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is the collective body of Node Bs along with the UMTS Radio Network Controllers (RNC). The user interfaces to the UTRAN via User Equipment (UE), which in many typical usage cases is a cellular phone or smartphone. FIG. 1b illustrates an exemplary UMTS cellular system 100 over which M2M services such as those described with respect to FIG. 1a may be provided. The UMTS system 150 comprises a plurality of base station towers 152 (Node Bs) that are set at various fixed geographic locations. Each of these base station towers 152 are characterized by their respective wireless coverage areas 154. The core network 156 generally governs the operation of the base station towers 152.
Within the UMTS cellular network, an entity called the Home Location Register (HLR—not shown) is a central database contains profile details for each mobile phone subscriber. There is one logical HLR entity per PLMN; however the functionality of the HLR may be spread across co-located or remote multiple servers. The HLR communicates with the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) within the UE, so as to authenticate and verify that the subscriber is valid (and vice versa). Each SIM card issued by the mobile phone operator has properties which are cataloged within the HLR. The most important entry within the SIM is the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), which is the unique key to its corresponding entry within the HLR. The tightly coupled relationship between the SIM card and the HLR, enables the HLR to uniquely identify and provision access control within the UMTS network.
3GPP Specification TS 23.008 V8.2.0 (June 2008), entitled “Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; Organization of subscriber data (Release 8)” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes the organization of subscriber data which is stored at the HLR.
As previously mentioned, the IMSI (which uniquely identifies the UE to the HLR) is stored within the SIM card. Also stored within the SIM is the Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) number, which in common parlance is the telephone number, used by the mobile phones to make and receive calls. The primary MSISDN is used for making and receiving voice calls and Short Messaging Services (SMS), but it is possible for a SIM to have other secondary MSISDNs associated with it for fax and data calls.
Per 3GPP TS 23.008, within the HLR a machine specific class, the Location Measurement Unit (LMU) Identifier is defined. The LMU HLR entry is useful for subscription service used for tracking devices; e.g. in a fleet management system. Usually, activated LMUs report their current position in short regular intervals. The messages contain a comparatively small amount of data. This communication behavior is a special case of M2M communication, and other M2M systems may have other requirements regarding their communication characteristics. The LMU feature was originally implemented in Global Standard for Mobile (GSM) Communications, and has carried over to UMTS.
3GPP TS 23.008 also specifies an entry called “Mobile Station Category”, but the only valid value of this entry is termed “ordinary subscriber”. While, the specification defines data fields related to Operator Determined Barring in the HLR, there are no restrictions to a single or group of fixed Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network (MSISDN) numbers for incoming or outgoing connections. Also, subscription restrictions are not M2M-specific. The restrictions only limit roaming ability and the choice of available networks.
The access class of a UE is also written on the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). The access class can be used to enforce a priority in terms of accessing the network. For example, UEs that belong to members of law enforcement groups have priority over normal UEs. Unfortunately, most access classes are currently indiscriminately distributed and used to randomly load balance. The access class is also less flexible compared with an entry in the HLR, because it is written on the SIM, and therefore not easy to change.
One solution that has been contemplated in the prior art, which relates to M2M restrictions within the core network, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,597,916 to Edge issued Jul. 22, 2003 and entitled “Hybrid architecture for supporting location determination in a wireless network”. This patent discloses a hybrid system and methods for determining the geographic location of a wireless device. A first base station subsystem is connected to the wireless device for transferring location information to and from the wireless device. A network subsystem is connected to the first base station subsystem and to a location computation entity for transferring location information between the first base station subsystem and the location computation entity. A second base station subsystem is connected to a location measurement entity and to the location computation entity for transferring location information between the location measurement entity and the location computation entity. The location computation entity generates and sends location information to the wireless device and/or location measurement entity and processes location information received from the wireless device and/or location measurement entity to obtain the geographic location of the wireless device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,016 to Sladek, et al. issued Sep. 16, 2003 and entitled “System for controlled provisioning of telecommunications services” discloses methods and systems for controlled provisioning of a desired set of service logic for a subscriber or a group of subscribers. In response to a designated stimulus, such as a time-event, a location-event or a threshold-event, a network entity modifies the subscriber profile maintained by a serving system, so as to include in the profile one or more desired parameters. One such modification may be the inclusion in the profile of a trigger that directs the serving system to query a designated network entity for call handling instructions. The designated network entity may then provide a special set of services for the subscriber or group. Further, a mechanism is provided to help ensure that once such a service overlay is imposed, it remains imposed if desired.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 20030027571 to Karlsson, et al. published Feb. 6, 2003, and entitled “System and method for providing protection from an overload condition within the home location register” that describes a telecommunications system and method for managing congestion within the HLR. At regular intervals or in response to a registration message associated with a mobile station registration request, the HLR can transmit the current load conditions in the HLR to one or more MSC within the area served by the HLR. In response, the MSC can use this load information to reduce the registration intensity in order to protect the HLR from congestion. Each MSC can include one or more HLR load thresholds, and if the current load level in the HLR is above one of these thresholds, the MSC can reduce the number of registration messages sent to the HLR by a certain amount.
Despite the foregoing approaches, the prior art fails to provide an adequate solution for implementing M2M network feature control. More specifically, the prior art affords the operator control over network access, but does not provide adequate features to enable third-party administrative control over its M2M client access.
Accordingly, improved apparatus and methods for third-party control over network access such that the third party administrator can regulate data usage properties (e.g. data throughput, data rate, data origination and destination, etc.) are needed.
Further, business models based on the variable data features of a cellular network, specifically designed for M2M clients is also desirable.
Moreover, such improved apparatus and methods would allow the network to detect, modify and limit usage of service, with respect to other predictable M2M client behaviors related to environmental factors such as the time of day, the location of the device, etc.
Such apparatus and methods would also ideally enable notification of the network operator and/or the third party administrator of unexpected network usage, based on previously determined predictable behavior. Specifically, such improved apparatus and methods would ideally notice unusual behaviors exhibited by an otherwise predictable M2M client to quickly detect fraudulent threats.